Steering Problems of Chrysler Pacifica - part 1

Front subframe is completely corroded and rusted out. Engine is no longer safely supported. Problem has been confirmed by dealer. Manufacturer has been aware of this issue caused by substandard uncoated and unprotected steel used in the front subfram01e.

See all problems of the 2007 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

After purchasing a used 2017 Chrysler Pacifica from massey Cadillac of orlando, a warning light appeared during the initial drive indicating a malfunction in the auto start/stop system (capital letter “a” inside a circle with an exclamation point). The system was disabled and indicated service was required. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Chrysler dealership, which confirmed that the auxiliary ess (engine stop/start) battery was missing, not failed. Installation of the auxiliary battery and associated mounting hardware was required, indicating the component was not present in the vehicle at the time of inspection. The auxiliary ess battery is part of a safety-related system. The servicing dealership advised that operating the vehicle without this battery can result in intermittent loss of power steering assist and potential loss of motive power without warning, increasing the risk of a crash. The condition was confirmed by an authorized dealer and is available for inspection upon request. The warning indicator appeared immediately upon operation of the vehicle following purchase. No collision occurred, but vehicle occupants, including children, were placed at risk due to the missing safety component.

See all problems of the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

While driving the car an alert pops up with a red steering wheel and an exclamation point. The console states "power steering unavailable service required". I brought the vehicle to a dealer and they stated they thought it was from low voltage due to a bad battery. They returned the car and the issue happened again. Oddly the you get the symptom first. Then you see an alert saying "lanesense off" then a ding where the console says "power steering unavailable service required". So for a few seconds you might think lane sense off is the problem even though the reality is you have no more power steering. My family's life was at risk. Without power steering the vehicle was incredibly hard to control. It is very heavy and I had to use my full force to turn it, if it was my wife or someone less muscular they would have crashed. It has been inspected by the dealer and they returned it after replacing the battery and the issue re-occurred. I noticed this was an issue on a previous year model but it occuring on ours as well.

See all problems of the 2023 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

Steering wheel sticks when making gradual turns in curves when around the 11 o’clock and 1 o’clock positions. Living in a state with snow and ice makes driving scary, not knowing if my steering wheel will stick in a curve. Took it to a repair shop, but they said it would need to be looked at by the dealership.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

When going around a curve (several times this has happened), the steering wheel feels like it is sticking which causes me to have to jerk it to get it out of that position to keep from wrecking, however this is dangerous and could cause an accident. It happens every time I drive it. No warning lights and no one knows what’s causing it. I have done research and this seems to be an ongoing issue with this specific vehicle.

The steering becomes stiff or seems to get stuck when between 10 or 11 o'clock position. It appears to be slowly deteriorating. It has not been reported yet and no warning lights showing. It does not yet stop the vehicle from being in control. It has been noticed over last year and not always as severe as other times.

See all problems of the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

While driving at approximately 65 mph on I-35 in moderate traffic, the vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of motive power. I was positioned in the far-right lane at the time of the incident. A notification message appeared on the dashboard screen (likely the "stop safely" or "service hybrid system" warning); however, there was no accompanying audible warning tone to alert me to the severity of the issue before power was lost. The failure rendered the vehicle unable to accelerate, creating a severe safety hazard. I was forced to navigate to the shoulder and stop for the vehicle to reset and allow me to reach the exit while the vehicle was effectively crippled, moving at speeds under 10 mph amidst highway-speed traffic. I was eventually able to exit the freeway at this reduced speed. This was the third and fourth time issue had occurred. This happened immediately after leaving the dealership to resolve this exact issue and was told that the vehicle was safe to drive again.

Intermittent sticking sensation at 11 and 1 o’clock.

The power steering went out without warning. Turned the vehicle on after getting gas and the could not turn when pulling out, then the light for the power steering came on. Checked 2 of the power steering fuse and found that one was a little unseated. Pushed that in and eas able to drive home. Tried to drive the vehicle the next day and the power steering went out while driving. Was able to make it home, but with great difficulty parked at an angle. When trying to move the vehicle to a more appropriate spot the steering wheel was wiggling itself. The power steering warning light is on again. A mechanic has not looked at it yet. We can not afford that but need the vehicle fixed, so plan to attempt to resolve the problem ourselves.

The front driver's side tire on my 2023 Chrysler Pacifica (77600 miles as of 12/1/25) has started making a loud rumbling sound regardless of my speed. This is happening when I turn the wheel from left to right and occurring every time I am driving. There are no warning lights on the dashboard. I had a mechanic evaluate the tire while on racks in the air and was shown the tire visibly rapidly bouncing and vibrating as the wheel was turned left to right. I am terrified to drive my van alone or with my family as the rumbling sound is heard loudly and consistently inside the van. This is my only mode of transportation and I am gravely concerned the wheel may indeed fly off the car and as a precaution I am driving slower than the speed limit on roads causing other drivers to become frustrated and close to hitting the back of my van. I need this issue addressed immediately to ensure the safety of everyone.

Steering sometimes catches momentarily at the 1 o'clock and 11 o'clock positions. Seems most common during turns at highway speeds. Been monitoring intermittent occurrences for about a year. On 11/26/2025, it occurred several times in close succession while making gradual turns going 35 to 40 mph.

About once a week while driving, the steering seems to catch or lock up for a moment. This usually happens when the steering wheel is just slightly off center by 15 or 20 degrees and more often to the left side. You can force to turn through it however it maturely free up and cause you to oversteer and weave on the roadway. It is serious enough that my wife refuses to drive the car. I noticed that there was an alert for steering problems for my type of car but when I entered my VIN number it isn’t included. Why not?? it is exhibiting the exact same symptoms as those that many others have reported. Does there need to be a fatal crash before something done about this critical issue?? VIN # [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

We are experiencing steering wheel locking on right or left gradual turns. The steering wheel locks and it has to be jerked back into a straight position. We've experienced this for over a year now. We understand it may be a chronic problem.

At low speeds while turning the wheel there is a severe shudder originating from the steering system resulting in a feeling of loss of control. Possible it’s happening at higher speeds and not as easily detectable. Countless users in online forums report the same exact problem with the solution from the dealer being that the rack and pinion system must be replaced. The volume of complaints seems like this is a defective part. This began when the car had under 30k miles but dealer would not fix under warranty as they “could not reproduce the problem”.

See all problems of the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the message “service rack and pinion gears” was displayed. The contact stated that it was difficult to turn the steering wheel to the left or right. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and replaced the rack and pinion gears and the steering module. The vehicle was repaired; however, after the repair to the steering, the contact experienced a failure with the transmission. The contact stated that while stopped at traffic signals, after depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the engine was running but was vibrating roughly, and then the vehicle jolted forward. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but had become a recurring failure. The contact stated that during another failure, while the engine was running, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission control module needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the shifter module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred, and the contact had the vehicle towed to the same dealer. The dealer had the vehicle for several days and called the contact to pick up the vehicle, and informed the contact that the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had failed again, and the vehicle was no longer able to start the vehicle. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 184,136.

Steering sticks occasionally at 1 and 11 position while traveling at highway speed.

At slow speeds while turning, the steering column shudders and vibrates. At higher speeds the steering seems to get tight and needs to be forced back in to the correct direction. This has been occurring for approximately 6 months. My car is out of warranty. It could become a dangerous situation.

It malfunctioned on October 25th, it started working briefly the same day, but ultimately quite again until we reset it in the early evening. Reset being disconnecting the battery for an hour then reconnecting. After that, it worked fine the next day, throughout the drive home, and all week until it quit yesterday, Nov 2, 2025. It hasn’t worked since, even after a reset since yesterday mov. 2, 2025. When making a hard left turn, the steering wheel system stopped completely!!! this caused it to be extremely hard to steer the car and it steered the van towards traffic!!! if my wife had been driving, we would have been involved in a major traffic accident! no steering at all, who designs a steering system that has the possibility of, when failing, puts the vehicle & passengers at risk of serious injury or death!!!.

See all problems of the 2019 Chrysler Pacifica 🔎.

Power steering impaired while going about 35-40 mph around gentle curves. Carplay will no longer work with the usb port wired to phone.

Steering wheel sticks when attempting to return to straight position after a curve. Usually occurs when turning right but sometimes left. Only occurs at highway speeds, not on city streets. Chrysler dealer inspected vehicle, said no problem was found, recommended having tire alignment checked. Front tires did not need alignment but rear tires did and were aligned. Unfortunately, this did not correct the problem. This appears to be the same steering problem reported to affect 2017 and 2018 Pacifica per NHTSA investigation. Note: incident date, below, is date problem was first noticed. Problem is ongoing.

When taking turns the steering "sticks" amd it takes extra physical force to "unstick" the car. While unsticking by turning the steering wheel harder than normal, it either crosses into uncoming traffic or runs off the shoulder. It unsticks but with the extra physical force, it generally causes you to over correct and/or swerve/veer all over the roadway. 2018 with 72k miles.

Steering has been sticking when making turns.

The vehicle stalls while driving without any notice. This van has a start/stop function and it malfunctions. There are two separate batteries that control this function and both of them have been replaced. The entire steering rack and steering column have had to be replaced. The front suspension has also had to be replaced because the tires wear out very quickly. The alternator, radiator, and motor mounts have also had to be replaced. The van is available for inspection. At the moment the vehicle will not start and I have been advised that it needs a new starter. This vehicle is a safety risk and it puts others at risk as well. These problems have been diagnosed and confirmed by at least three different service centers including a Chrysler dealership. I generally do not get any warning lamps, messages, or symptoms when the van stalls.

When making long sweeping turns, like highway off ramps, the steering wheel will stick. The driver has jerk the wheel back towards center to get the wheel to turn again. We have owned the car since new. We have expirenced the problem between 15-20 times. The issue seems to come in waves. We will expirence it a few times in a short time then it wont happen agian for an extended period.

My 2017 Chrysler Pacifica touring-l has suffered repeated and dangerous electrical failures since purchase. Shortly after buying it from autonation Chrysler Dodge Jeep ram in valencia, CA, I had to return it twice for electrical repairs that kept it in service several weeks under warranty. About two years later, while still under extended warranty, the engine underwent a complete rebuild for multiple-cylinder misfire codes that were likely caused by intermittent can-bus voltage loss rather than a mechanical defect. Over the past nine months, the vehicle has again developed severe electrical faults while driving: sudden loss of power steering assist, all dashboard lights illuminating, windshield wipers activating spontaneously, and the engine failing to shut off using the start/stop button. The vehicle has also stalled without warning while driving in traffic or idling at red lights, restarting only after 5–10 minutes and blocking traffic lanes, placing me and surrounding drivers at significant risk. Two major repairs in the last two weeks failed to resolve the defects: (1) repair of the can-bus system after the vehicle would not start and acted erratically while driving, and a week later (2) replacement of the brake-booster vacuum pump, which was shorted internally and caused can-bus shutdown, complete steering loss, sudden braking, and no engine power. The vehicle is currently at dependable Chrysler Dodge Jeep ram, canoga park, CA, awaiting further diagnosis despite repeated repair attempts. These symptoms match Chrysler tsbs 08-007-17 and 08-033-21 concerning body control module water intrusion and communication faults. This ongoing electrical defect has caused steering loss, random stalling, ignition failure, and unpredictable vehicle behavior—issues widely reported by Pacifica owners. It poses a serious safety hazard and warrants immediate investigation and recall.

Have noticed intermittent sticking sensation when driving. No particular direction. Just sometimes happens going around curves. Have to perk steering wheel in opposite direction to free up.

Pe25009 - my van has a fault in alignment with this investigation. On long turns with the wheel between 11 and 1 the steering feels heavy then it feels like the system overcorrects. It has done this intermittently for a few months now.

The contact owns a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The contact stated while driving 35 mph and turning the steering wheel to the left or the right, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. The power steering engaged and jerked the wheel to the left or the right of center. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 154,000.

Power steering sticks while making gradual turns in either direction. Most commonly noted on highway entrance/exit ramps, but also slight curves in the road. Some force is needed to return the steering wheel to the correct position which has led to over correction. This is a repeated issue, not an isolated incident.

When driving on the freeway, at around 65-75 mph, and on a gentle right bend, the steering wheel gets stuck. We can move it, but it jerks the car a little. It initially occurred rarely and was not easily reproduced. My dealer could not reproduce it. It is now becoming more common and a nuisance on road trips. It is also getting more stuck, resulting in more significance movements. I nearly left my lane when getting the steering unstuck this past weekend. We are going to see if our dealer can reproduce it.

The steering has been sticking causing oversteering at different speeds. This has been getting progressively worse as time has gone on. This is a serious issue as the oversteering to get the car back in a lane is going to cause a serious accident especially at higher rates of speed on the interstates.

Steering seems to stick momentarily during turns. Especially on ramps.

The steering on my 2017 Chrysler pacific sticks at the 11 and 1 position. It causes me to over steer while driving down the road or on the interstate and then it feels like the vehicle is swerving and I have to hold the steering wheel tight. Usually before this the service electronic stability control will come on and lately the service airbag light has been coming on all at the same time. All the notifications will go off when I turn the vehicle off and come on randomly while driving. It is very scary and dangerous causing tense driving on the steering wheel because you never know when it will happen.

Steering system can feel "sticky" during gradual turns, particularly when the steering wheel is held in specific positions (around the 11 or 1 o'clock position). This can be followed by a sudden, forceful return of power steering assistance, which could lead to oversteering. This is a reoccurring issue.